The Centenario stadium is a football stadium that is among those who hosted the World Cup. It is located in the Parque Batlle neighborhood of Montevideo, Uruguay. It is managed by the Administrative Commission of the Official Field (CAFO), composed of three members of the Uruguayan Football Association and two of the Municipality of Montevideo. It is the stadium with the largest capacity in Uruguay and one of the 15 largest in America. On July 18, 1983 it was declared by FIFA as a World Football Historical Monument, being the only construction of its kind in the world. It was the venue, among other tournaments, of the 1930 Soccer World Cup, the 1942 South American Championship, the 1956 South American Championship, the 1967 South American Championship and the 1995 America's Cup, all won by Uruguay. Currently, the Uruguayan soccer team plays its home matches in this stadium. Any Uruguayan club that requests to play its games in this scenario can do so by renting it. Its current capacity is 60,235 people. Its greatest capacity was 74,860 spectators, once two headers were enlarged. With the enlargement of the main grandstand, the capacity would have been 90,000 people, but this did not happen, and the official gallery is smaller than the others. With the closure of slopes for security reasons, the capacity was reduced, reaching the current numbers.
The Centenario is one of the most important stadiums in the sport development of South America and international football. It was built especially for the organization of the Football World Cup of 1930, by immigrant workers in a record time of 9 months. Its name originates from the celebration of 100 years of the swearing in of the first Constitution of Uruguay. In the beginning, all the games of the World Cup would take place in the Centenary. However, the heavy rain that hit Montevideo a while ago prevented the end of the construction of the stadium, so several games had to be held in Parque Central, belonging to the National Football Club, and the now defunct Pocitos Stadium, of the Athletic Club Peñarol. The Centenary was inaugurated on July 18, 1930, in the match between Uruguay and Peru, with the blue-sky team winning 1-0, with a goal from Hector "Manco" Castro. The final of that World Cup faced the National Team of Uruguay with Argentina, with Uruguay winning. For the America's Cup editions of 1942 and 1956 were played entirely in the Centennial, the final phase of 1967 and some matches, including the final, of the 1995 edition. On all four occasions the winner was Uruguay, so It is the only team that has been champion of the tournament in this stadium. The first match of the Intercontinental Cup was played in the 1960 edition between the European champion Real Madrid and the South American champion Peñarol. In addition, Peñarol himself won the first intercontinental for South America in 1961, defeating Benfica. The third and final final of the 1967 Intercontinental Cup between Racing Club and Celtic Football Club, winners of the 1967 Copa Libertadores and the European Champions Cup 1966-67, respectively, was also played here. The Argentine team was proclaimed champion, being the first occasion in which a team from that country managed to win this competition.
Fourteen games have been played in the Centennial Stadium by the end of the Copa Libertadores de América. The only clubs that have been crowned champions of this tournament in the Centennial are Nacional in 1980 and 1988. Estudiantes de la Plata in 1970 and Boca Juniors in 1977. It was also the headquarters of the Mundialito of 1980,15 and together with other stadiums in Uruguay, of two South American Sub-20 (1979, 2003), and of a South American Sub-17 (1999). Since its inauguration in 1930, the Centenario stadium has been used by the Uruguayan national football team in the games in which it has to play, as well as the Uruguayan teams that request to do the same. Peñarol used it as the stage for the majority of its local matches until April 9, 2016, the day on which it inaugurated the Campeón del Siglo stadium. Nacional decides to play there some Copa Libertadores matches as well as classics and some other occasions for the Uruguayan championship.
The football museum at the Estadio Centenario in Montevideo is one of the best and most historic in the world. As it was the venue of the first World Cup Final in 1930 there are great historical objects and artefacts there, including two Jules Rimet Trophies from Uruguay's World Cup wins. There are posters and documents showing the strong links with the birth of football in Uruguay from British workers. They also pay tribute to a great Uruguayan referee Ramón Barreto who officiated at two World Cup tournaments.